Chapter 58

           "Fortherecanlivenohatredinthineeye,ThereforeinthatIcannotknowthychange:Inmany’slooksthefalseheart’shistoryIswritinmoodsandfrownsandwrinklesstrange:ButHeaveninthycreationdiddecreeThatinthyfacesweetloveshouldeverdwell:Whate’erthythoughtsorthyheart’sworkingsbeThylooksshouldnothingthencebutsweetnesstell."—SHAKESPEARE:Sonnets.

           AtthetimewhenMr.VincyutteredthatpresentimentaboutRosamond,sheherselfhadneverhadtheideathatsheshouldbedriventomakethesortofappealwhichheforesaw.Shehadnotyethadanyanxietyaboutwaysandmeans,althoughherdomesticlifehadbeenexpensiveaswellaseventful.Herbabyhadbeenbornprematurely,andalltheembroideredrobesandcapshadtobelaidbyindarkness.Thismisfortunewasattributedentirelytoherhavingpersistedingoingoutonhorsebackonedaywhenherhusbandhaddesiredhernottodoso;butitmustnotbesupposedthatshehadshowntemperontheoccasion,orrudelytoldhimthatshewoulddoassheliked.

           Whatledherparticularlytodesirehorse-exercisewasavisitfromCaptainLydgate,thebaronet’sthirdson,who,Iamsorrytosay,wasdetestedbyourTertiusofthatnameasavapidfop"partinghishairfrombrowtonapeinadespicablefashion"(notfollowedbyTertiushimself),andshowinganignorantsecuritythatheknewtheproperthingtosayoneverytopic.